Tagreed and her husband live with their six children in Teqoa. They are both officials of the Palestinian Authority. Tagreed is a German language teacher. Their forty dunums of land earn Tagreed and her husband no money, but they do provide oil for the village. From the various types of fruit Tagreed makes jam and she gets the olives pressed into olive oil. Tagreed started a cooking course for tourists, to earn extra money to pay for the therapy of her sick daughter.

Life in Teqoa is not easy. Settlements as well as a military base are nearby. The village feels like a prison. They do not have a landline or an internet connection, those are only available for the settlers in the settlements. The children are afraid of the soldiers, who sometimes point their guns at the children when they walk to school. Tagreed gets regularly stopped by the Israeli police, who always find a reason to give her a fine. And then there are the confrontations with settlers.

During the last olive harvest a group of female settlers attacked Palestinian men in the field. Of course they could not do anything, because hitting back a woman is not an option. Moreover, the army intervenes in such cases in favour of the settlers. Palestinian villagers are left powerless. But Tagreed is a strong, determined woman who works hard and wants the best for her children. And for Palestine. That is why she likes to speak with (foreign) visitors about the situation. Tagreed is committed. "The land is ours," she says, "and we welcome everyone here. We do not reject the Jews, but we reject their politics. And the way they perceive and treat the Palestinians. The Israeli people should not support the policy of their government, because it is very wrong."

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A joint program of East Jerusalem YMCA and YWCA of Palestine, works for Peace with Justice in Palestine, based on Humanitarian and Christian Values, by mobilizing the world movements of YMCA and YWCA, churches, church-based organizations, UN agencies, and other relevant organizations to influence decision-makers and prompt actions that contribute to end Israeli occupation and all its violations of International Law.